COMING SOON: Big-Screen iPhone 6

In 2012, after five generations of iPhone, Apple switched up the size of their flagship smartphone. Rather than sporting a 3.5-inch display, as it had for five years, the iPhone 5 had a 4-inch display making it longer, thinner and lighter than any generation before it.

This year, it’s entirely possible that the same shift will occur, with reports suggesting that Apple is working on two separate models, a 4.7-inch version and an XL 5.5-inch version.

Wondering what that might look like?

So is designer Federico Ciccarese, who has put together these concept designs for larger screened iPhones with metal frames.

Take a look:

Of course, there’s no guarantee that Apple’s iPhones will look anything like this. They may very well keep the flat back design language of current models, rather than Ciccarese’s curve (which is likely in homage to the much-beloved iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS).

Plus, the edge-to-edge display is a bit of a stretch.

But rumor season for the iPhone has only begun — now is the time to dream big.

5 Ways to Be a Better Leader

While not everyone can be the boss, more and more employees are asked to take on leadership roles.

"With the increasing need for project managers, we should all want to improve our skills and abilities as our projects become larger and more complex," said Russell Harley, a veteran project manager and project management office director.

To help those tasked with leading projects, Harley offers five tips for getting the most out of your team:

• Be a leader: While this should be pretty obvious, it is very easy to get caught up in personalities and the normal socialization of the workplace. This is especially true for long-term projects, or those that require the team to work together for long hours. As a project manager, the important thing to remember is that your only goal is the completion of the project. It is not to be friends with everyone or to have them all like you. Projects can easily get into trouble if things start sliding due to the project manager not wanting to hold people accountable. 
• Stop multitasking: This may be the hardest task to do effectively. Numerous researchers have shown that multitasking is bad for everyone. Yet people still try and do more than they really are capable of doing. So how do you control this tendency? In a word, delegate. You have a team of subject matter experts plus others on your team. So ask them to help, or assign tasks to them that they should be doing instead of you. Yes, it may seem easier for you to just handle it yourself, but what is the point of having a team if you are doing most of the work?
   
• Run effective meetings: Project managers spend a lot of time leading meetings. To make sure you use the time spent in these meeting efficiently, rely on a key, though underused tool: a team charter. This simple, one-to-two-page document details the protocol of the meetings, which everyone has agreed to. Items in the charter can include everyone agreeing to be on time, no cell phone usage, etc. A tool like this will not only help the existing team, but will also show new people exactly what is expected, rather than leaving them to guess on their own.
   
• Be an agent for change: Process and procedures are great for keeping everything running smoothly, especially on difficult projects. However, the team also needs to make sure these rules are helping the project rather than hurting it. If you or someone else on your team can improve a process, then speak up. Showcase how the change would help the team complete the project faster, cheaper, etc. The proposed change may actually affect multiple projects, not just your own, and could  even affect the entire company. However, if the change will only benefit your team or project, be sure to explain that this would just be an exception for one project and not a global change. If you can institute a beneficial change, your team will thank you.
   
• Breathe: Project managers sometimes forget that the projects they are responsible for are not theirs. As a project manager, you normally do not "own" projects; the sponsors do. You are only responsible for managing the project, not owning it. (Though, most of the time, managing the project by itself is a huge task.) So if the project experiences massive changes, including cancelation, it is not you, it is the sponsors. So do not react or stress out as if this is something you or your team did wrong.

Yahoo Detects Mass Hack Attempt On Yahoo Mail, Resets All Affected Passwords.

The details are a bit sparse right now, but Yahoo has just disclosed by way of their Tumblr that they’ve detected what they’re calling a “coordinated effort to gain unauthorized access to Yahoo Mail accounts”.

Yahoo didn’t disclose how many accounts were affected, but we’ve asked for clarification and will update the post accordingly. It’s possible that they’ve yet to nail down an exact number. Given that it was enough to disclose the news in a public blog post, it’s presumably a non-trivial amount.

The good news: it doesn’t appear that Yahoo’s own servers were compromised — instead, it looks like someone is firing off a bunch of login attempts using emails/passwords secured from an unnamed “third-party database compromise”. In other words: the attackers got someone else’s database of usernames/passwords, and are mass-checking for accounts that use them same credentials on Yahoo Mail.

In response to the attack, Yahoo has reset the passwords of all accounts that appear to have been affected. If you’re trying to log in and Yahoo is asking you to change your password and verify your identity via SMS, this is probably why.

The Best Reasons to Buy a Tablet PC

• Tablet PC

The tablet PC is really the best of both worlds: it combines the design and functionality of a laptop, but once the convertible screen swivels around, it becomes a tablet – sensitive touchscreen and all.

Overall, the dimensions and weights of the systems we reviewed are about average for a smaller laptop. Most are 12.1 inches wide and between an inch and 1.5 inches thick when closed. They weigh between three and five pounds, so they could be considered a little on the bulky side with the heavier units. One unit is 10.1 inches, another is 13.3 inches.

All of the tablet PCs we reviewed feature full-blown versions of Windows 7, even on the small, netbook-like viliv S10 Blade. However, if you wish to pay for a “downgrade” to Windows XP, it’s available for most systems.

There aren’t any limits on processor types, either. Most of the units available feature the latest Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processors. One unit we looked at, the Fujitsu T4410, has an Intel Core 2 Duo, and the S10 Blade has an Intel Atom processor, which is ideal for its small size. Plus graphics, RAM, hard drive capacity and other features are competitive with great laptops.

When in tablet mode, these units respond well to touch, feature a virtual keyboard and most of the units have multitouch, for two finger scrolling and pinching to zoom. You can hold the unit in a landscape (horizontal) or portrait (vertical) view, the latter of which is especially nice for reading eBooks.

• Laptop

By far, the laptop conquers the tablet PC and tablet. While the tablet PC can feature many of the same tech specs, the laptop can trounce it in overall screen size and, in some cases, graphics, sound quality and other tech specs. The “lowly” tablet can’t touch the laptop in most categories, except of course the touchscreen.

If you have a killer laptop, why would you want a tablet or tablet PC? For one thing, reading eBooks on a laptop isn’t nearly as satisfying. Being able to lie in bed and hold a tablet in your lap and read is just more comfortable. Watching movies is more fun, as are some videos games that use the touchscreen. And the touchscreen and multitouch features are sometimes better than using a mouse and keyboard. Besides, most folks with laptops will want a tablet, too.

• Tablet

A standard tablet computer, like the excellent Apple iPad, is usually smaller than a Tablet PC. Obviously there is no physical keyboard, but there are units such as Apple’s iPad Keyboard Dock, so if you’re doing some serious writing it won’t be a problem.

The operating system is usually a “stripped-down” version, like the Apple iOS or Windows 7 Starter Edition. There’s nothing wrong with that, but using more robust apps requires full versions of Mac OS X or Windows 7 (or earlier).

Tech specs are also limited, such as slower processors, less RAM, smaller hard drives and graphics that are decent, but not great. This way they keep costs down (the iPad starts at $499), the unit's thin, light to carry, and the overall power consumption and heat output are low.

Those limits on the operating system, screen size and tech specs will pretty much force a tablet owner to have a more powerful laptop or desktop, adding to the overall bottom line. You just can’t get the kind of higher-end software (think Adobe Photoshop or Apple Final Cut Pro) or great video games to work well, or at all, on a regular tablet.

But it’s great to be able to use the touchscreen and multitouch features, virtual keyboard and more. That’s the big advantage of using a tablet. Once you start using an iPad or other tablet, the computer experience seems to become more personal.

• Conclusion

The tablet PC’s design and tech specs truly make this the ultimate great buy: you get the functionality and speed of both a laptop and a tablet. You’re not lugging around two different computers on trips, which could be the case; you’re not dealing with two units. You also need to include the costs of ownership and repair. You have one unit that can do both. Now if only Apple would release a MacBook/iPad tablet PC running a full version of Mac OS X, we’d be very happy.

How to Reduce Risk on a Bloated Android Device

Determine where best to free up space. Take a look at the Pictures and Videos space used in particular. Look for the numerical value next to the descriptive label. Video and images, unlike music, often don't need to be stored on the device and can be moved. HD video is a major memory hog. Photographs and music are other forms of media that take up a lot of space.

It's a good idea to prune an Android device periodically, for a few reasons.

A mishmash of apps, some aging, have all kinds of on-device routines running that can negatively affect performance. Worse, some are continually accessing the Internet and eating into your data cap -- unlimited wireless Internet on mobile devices is practically nonexistent these days.

Plus, the accumulation of apps and their associated data hogs now limited storage memory. It's common to see no expandable storage options on may current phones.

• Offload Media

Media doesn't have to be stored on the device. Offload media to a PC if device storage is full.

Step 1: Identify memory used by media assets by opening the device Settings. Settings is reached by touching the Settings cogwheel-like icon. Then scroll through to the Storage section.

You'll see a graphical representation of storage in use, along with available space.

Step 2: Determine where best to free up space. Take a look at the Pictures and Videos space used in particular. Look for the numerical value next to the descriptive label. Video and images, unlike music, often don't need to be stored on the device and can be moved.

Tip: HD video is a major memory hog. Photographs and music are other forms of media that take up a lot of space.

Step 3: Open the Settings option within Storage on the device. The Settings button within Storage is indicated by a vertical three-block icon.

Touch USB Connection on an Android KitKat OS device, and then connect as Media Device (MTP).

Step 4: Plug in a USB cable from the device to a PC and allow drivers to automatically install on the PC.

Tip: Mac users can click here to download similar, Mac-specific software for transferring files.

Step 5: Use the PC's Windows Explorer to browse the files on the device. Drag and drop memory-hogging media files from the device to the PC. After performing the copy, delete the files on the device.

Tip: Video is in the Internal Storage, DCIM, Camera folder on the device.

Older versions of Android use slightly different methods. If your device allows the installation of an external SD card, look for an option to Transfer Data to SD Card.

Insert a spare card, and choose Transfer Data to Storage Card.

• Organize your Screens

Install a lock screen-like Cover Lock Screen on your device if your home screens are full of app launch icons.

Cover Lock Screen, a recently updated app in beta, replaces the device's lock screen with a third-party app that delivers most-used apps as you need them.

It learns which apps you use most, and where.

Step 1: Browse to the Google Play store. You'll find it in the app drawer. Install the app by following the prompts.

Step 2: Open the Cover Lock Screen app and follow the prompts to enter your home and work addresses.

Step 3: Switch off the device's screen and then turn it back on again. Cover Lock Screen will start to learn your most used apps based on your location. Access those apps straight from the lock screen, rather than plowing through full home screens.